Aliquippa rolls past Allentown Central Catholic, returns to PIAA Class 4A title game

By: Sam Woloson
Friday, December 2, 2022 | 10:39 PM

BELLEFONTE — Aliquippa will get a chance to defend its state title.

The four-time PIAA champion Quips stayed undefeated Friday night with a 31-10 victory over District 11 champion Allentown Central Catholic in the Class 4A state semifinals at Bald Eagle Area High School.

Aliquippa (13-0) will play District 3 champion Bishop McDevitt (12-1) in the championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cumberland Valley.

The Vikings (9-6) kept it close Friday night, but failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

The underdogs claimed the early momentum with a scoring drive on the opening possession.

Senior quarterback Tamlin Ferguson combined with senior receiver Griffin Patridge three times on the drive. After a third-down sack in the red zone, junior kicker Luke Myers converted a 37-yard field goal to give Allentown Central Catholic an early 3-0 lead.

It was an uncharacteristically slow start for Aliquippa’s offense, opening the game with a pair of punts. The third time was the charm for the Quips, as sophomore running back Tiqwai Hayes exploded up the sideline for a 56-yard touchdown. After a missed extra-point attempt, the Quips held a 6-3 lead.

Aliquippa coach Mike Warfield attributed his team’s early offensive struggles to the the Vikings’ preparation.

“You could tell (Central Catholic) watched the tape from last week,” Warfield said. “So once we see what they’re doing, we got to make adjustments.”

Aliquippa scored on another big play in the second quarter, as sophomore receiver John Tracy took a screen pass 65 yards up the sideline for the touchdown.

On the ensuing Vikings drive, Ferguson heaved an ill-advised third-down pass, and Aliquippa senior cornerback Donovan Walker secured the interception.

The Quips offense found its groove on a more methodical drive, capped off by an 8-yard touchdown run for Tracy. A failed 2-point conversion try resulted in an 18-3 lead for Aliquippa.

The first half continued to spiral for Central Catholic’s offense, as on the next drive, another errant pass from Ferguson went to the waiting arms of Quips junior Brandon Banks.

Banks scored on the next play, as quarterback Quentin Goode connected with the receiver on a gorgeous back-shoulder touchdown pass. In the blink of an eye, Aliquippa had a commanding 24-3 lead entering halftime.

The offensive surge at the end of the first half was a product of the in-game adjustments from Warfield and his coaching staff.

“I preach to the coaches all the time, get on that series and make those adjustments,” Warfield said. “They did a great job.”

Early in the third quarter, Hayes went down with a lower body injury while protecting on a punt play. He finished the night with 11 carries, 118 yards and a touchdown. Tracy filled in well, racking up 130 yards on 19 totes.

Central Catholic responded well in the second half and had two plays where it could’ve narrowed the gap on the same drive. The first was a deep shot that went through the hands of sophomore receiver Jareel Calhoun. Later on the possession, the Vikings pulled out their own Philly Special, but Patridge short-armed a wide-open receiver. The Vikings went for it on fourth down inside the 5-yard line, but failed to convert.

After the turnover on downs, Aliquippa broke out of its own territory with a pair of long plays — a 50-yard run by Tracy, and eventually a 35-yard touchdown for Cameron Lindsay on a screen pass to give the Quips a 31-3 advantage.

Central Catholic’s defense provided its first touchdown, as junior Nasir Mclean jumped a pass in the flat and went for a 30-yard pick-6. The defensive score made it 31-10 at the end of the third quarter, giving the Vikings fans something to cheer about.

Aliquippa burnt more than eight minutes of clock on a lengthy fourth quarter drive to secure the semifinal win and another trip to the state final.

Tags: Aliquippa